AllFreeNovel
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Matinee day.
Britesmith may not have had the biggest or the most Broadway theater accounts of its concessions competitors, but the roster it maintained was reputable. And Nora was proud to have had a hand in staffing them – from the art deco lobby bar of an intimate six—hundred-seat gem to an opulent venue’s coat-check responsible for the belongings of its fifteen-hundred theatergoers.
She knew the people who closed the curtains after a standing ovation, and she knew the people who opened the doors for the day. If you weren’t part of a union, you were part of a contract like the ones Britesmith held. But working show after show, you became part of the same family.
It was, as she had mentioned to Beck that first night, the thing she loved most about working in the theaters.
“Are you sure we’re supposed to be in here?” Beck asked, as they entered the lobby of the first theater. “Or let me guess – another VIP perk?”
She smirked and allowed him to open a second set of heavy doors.
Workers were humming along with quiet efficiency. Bar staff re-stocking, a cashier counting bills in front of her register at the merch stall. Two identically-dressed ushers carrying a velvet rope and its poles toward the restrooms.
“Quiet, right? It’s the calm before the storm.”
They approached a glass counter holding not just the usual brands of wrapped candy and bagged chips, but also snacks unique to the show.Yes,she silently cheered. Tia London was working today.
“You got any Swedish Fish back there?” Nora taunted to get her attention.
“Nora! You coming to bail me out?” The tall girl reached her slim arms across the glass counter to embrace her.
“Hey Tia, nah – busman’s holiday. This is my friend, Beck. Beck… Tia London.”
“Oh, it’s officially London-Lang now.” She grinned, shaking Beck’s hand. “Hi, Beck.”
“I’m so glad everything worked out,” Nora started, which was all Tia needed to launch into her story.
“Shoot, without your help, I would’ve lost every deposit! All those wedding vendors needing payment.” She shook her natural springy curls and turned to Beck. “My girl here worked some miracles after I tried to dip into my 401(k) to borrow ten large and came up short. Something was all messed up with my balance, I don’t know what, but she got me squared away quick.”
“Every penny,” Nora confirmed, glancing at Beck pointedly. “And I’m working on getting software approved for the budget so you will be able to check on your account activity yourself, at any time.”
“I know borrowing against it wasn’t the best way, since I gotta pay interest now. But weddings in New York are crazy – I was just glad I’d been saving for so long. We got a lot of gifts, though, so I’ll be paying myself back real soon,” she laughed.
A roar of applause and chatter swept up the aisles and into the large space, as ushers propped open doors.
“Here we go! Nice meeting you. Here, guys – it’s on me.”
Tia tossed Beck a bag of Swedish Fish and turned her attention to the well-dressed customers flooding the lobby for intermission.
“Quick,” Nora grabbed Beck’s hand, “the bar gets mobbed fast.” They hit the one on the mezzanine before the thirsty balcony folks made it down the steps.
“Hi, Angelo. Two of your bestsellers, please!”
The old man behind the bar had a yellow-toothed smile that lit up at Nora’s request. He shuffled a bit but was deft in returning with two snifter-type glasses. “It’s called ‘Drink Your Feelings,’ after the opening number.”
He waved away Beck’s offer of bills, so Beck stuffed the tip jar silly instead.
“Angelo’s been designing drinks to go with shows since…since when?”
“Young lady, you know my age from my personnel file so I will say no more.” He began to pour champagne for two older women in their minks.
“Wow, what is in this?” Beck marveled at the burnt orange concoction.
Without missing a beat, Angelo began to recite a laundry list of ingredients, as he made change, opened beer bottles and swiped credit cards.
“You got your bourbon, your cherry liqueur, then you add a drizzle from the honey bear. No more than three dashes of chocolate bitters. A swizzle spoon of orange marmalade and – don’t you dare.” He took the gummy fish Nora was about to add to her drink right from her hand and laid it on his tongue like a communion wafer.
She laughed. “Not trying to improve on perfection, Angelo. You hear from Bennett lately?”
